Bhubaneswar: Acting on a complaint lodged by Akhand, an advocate and human rights activist in Odisha, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Odisha Chief Secretary to submit a detailed report on the reported death of four Scheduled Tribe (ST) members, aged between 29 and 48 years, due to tuberculosis, within four weeks.
In its notice to the Chief Secretary, the NHRC wrote, “The Commission has received a complaint from Shri Akhand, an advocate and human rights activist from Odisha referring to a news report in a local vernacular newspaper, stating that due to poverty, unhygienic lifestyle and lack of nutritional food, people residing in Jajpur district in Odisha are suffering from illness. The complainant has stated that four persons, aged 29-48 years, have died due to tuberculosis in Jajpur due to lack of proper medical treatment in time. The complainant has stated that the officials from the Health Department never visit the area due to which people belonging to the Schedule Tribe are suffering.”
“The Commission is of the opinion that the contents of the news report, if true, raise serious issues of violation of human rights. The Commission, therefore, takes suo motu cognizance of the news report and directs the issuance of notice to the Chief Secretary, Odisha, calling for a detailed report on the matter within four weeks. The Commission would also like to know about the steps taken to deal with the subject by the state authorities,” the letter read.
